A new campaign – ‘Backing Young Britain’ – uniting business and government to create thousands of opportunities for young people is launched by Yvette Cooper, Lord Mandelson, Ed Balls and John Denham yesterday. Launching the campaign Ministers announced £40 million to fund over 20,000 additional internships so that graduates and non graduates can get higher quality work experience, as well as a new mentoring network to help young people find their feet in a tough jobs market. Young people will also get more help from day one of unemployment through job clubs and 1-2-1 support in job centres for those leaving education this summer. Ministers also announced the first 47,000 youth jobs supported by the Future Jobs Fund for young people who are unable to find work or training within a year. Ministers called on businesses and other organisations to make a commitment to support young people in at least one of the following ways:
Kicking the campaign off today at an event with businesses and young people in London, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Yvette Cooper announced that 117 bidders have been given the green light to create up to 47,000 innovative jobs for young people and the long term unemployed through the Government’s Future Jobs Fund. Jobs will include sports coaches, education assistants, and roles in the green and social care sectors. Launching the campaign at the Hoxton Apprentice in London, Yvette Cooper said: “We are determined not to lose a generation of talent as has happened in the past because of the global recession. This is why we are announcing 47,000 new jobs for young people today. And – with business and charities – we are launching a national call to action to our fellow employers to join us in Backing Young Britain – to give every young person a job, training place, skills or work experience.” The campaign kicks off as the Government launches its Graduate Talent Pool website which goes live today with more than 2,000 internships available to graduates from employers and businesses. These are the first of more than 6,000 graduate internships already pledged by employers to come on stream in weeks to come. In addition the Government is announcing support today for a further 10,000 graduate internships – including thousands of graduate internships with small businesses. Support is also being provided for over 10,000 internships and work placements for non graduates. The £40 million additional funding for internships is part of the £5 billion allocated at the Budget and pre Budget report to support the unemployed. As unemployment is currently lower than the independent forecasts at the time of the Budget, the Government has been able to allocate this additional investment to help young people. Business Secretary Lord Mandelson said, “Our national campaign to help every young person to find a job, training or work skills and experience is not just a response to the recession but an investment in our future as we build a stronger Britain.” Ministers are today out and about around the country visiting successful organisations to see first hand the kind of jobs that will be created by the Future Jobs Fund. For more information on Backing Young Britain please visit